1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automotive vehicle electric storage batteries, and more particularly, to an automotive vehicle side terminal electric storage battery possessing four side terminals that allows polarity swapping of the battery terminal locations simply by reversing the battery orientation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most automotive vehicles require a power source in the form of an electric storage battery for use in performing the vehicle functions of starting, lighting and ignition. The automotive electric storage batteries are generally fabricated in one of two ways: top terminal and side terminal.
A top terminal battery is normally provided with two terminals positioned in each of two corners of a generally rectangular top wall of a battery container. Top terminal battery terminals are commonly configured in the form of bare metal posts called terminal posts which extend through the top wall of a battery near two corners usually separated by one of the longer sides of the battery. These terminal posts are usually electrically connected to an associated automotive vehicle electrical system by terminal post clamps connected to cables.
Top terminal and side terminal batteries must each be connected with correct polarity to associated vehicle electrical systems for proper operation. Automotive manufacturers generally provide cabled terminal connections which are no longer than strictly necessary to ensure that improper polarity connections do not occur. This results in top terminal and side terminal batteries configured in the manner described above that are unable to properly be connected to associated automotive electrical systems because of battery terminal polarity positions that fail to coincide with associated automotive cabled terminal connection polarity positions. Automotive battery manufacturers have produced top terminal and side terminal batteries having particular terminal polarity positions and identical configured top terminal and side terminal batteries having opposing mounted terminal polarity positions to provide batteries which may be properly connected to the variety of automotive cabled terminal connection polarity positions. This has resulted in large and costly inventories which battery manufacturers and retailers must maintain. Some battery manufacturers have partially reduced these costs by providing top terminal batteries with terminal posts near the ends and near or on the longitudinal center line of the top walls of the batteries. In addition, inventory cost reductions have resulted from the manufacture of batteries referred to as dual terminal batteries. A dual terminal battery normally includes four terminals, a pair of top terminals and a pair of side terminals.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related.
The following patents disclose a dual battery system including a main and reserve battery:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,750 issued in the name of Hwa et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,274 issued in the name of Mawston et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,351 issued in the name of Wruck
U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,164 issued in the name of Dougherty et al.
The following patents describe a method and circuit for controlling charging in a dual battery electrical system:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,666 issued in the name of Dougherty et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,553 issued in the name of Waugh
U.S. Pat. No. 5,985,481 issued in the name of Champagne et al. discloses a reserve battery assembly and related method of use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,572 issued in the name of Steele et al. describes a back-up power supply with a replaceable battery pack.
And, U.S. Pat. No. D 275,062 issued in the name of Sorko-Ram et al. discloses the ornamental design for a convex hemispherical mirror panel for a suspended ceiling grid.
Consequently, a need has been felt for a battery having a specific arrangement of attachable terminals for adaptation to various geometric configurations.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved vehicle battery.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved automotive vehicle side terminal electric storage battery which includes four side terminals to further contribute to reducing battery manufacturer inventory costs.
Briefly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a battery is provided that includes two positive side terminals and two negative side terminals. In a front battery wall there is a positive terminal and a negative terminal and in the opposing rear battery wall there is also a positive terminal and a negative terminal. Adaptors are arranged within the battery housing near a top battery wall to electrically interconnect the terminals having the same polarity.
It is, accordingly, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved side terminal battery which enable side terminal polarity repositioning merely by reversing the battery orientation. An additional object of the invention is to provide improved elements and arrangements whereof in an electric storage battery for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.